After riding a road bike with drop handlebars for years I switched to a bikepacking bike with Surly Corner bars a couple of months ago. I developed ulnar wrist pain about a month ago which I originally attributed to knitting (I had just learned to knit around the same time and thought my technique was bad). But then this morning, upon waking up, I realized that this wrist pain is probably more due to the switch in handlebars and my weight being placed exactly on that ulnar spot by the Surly Corner bars.
So I'm basically looking for handlebar recommendations that would put my weight in a different part of my hand. Or has anyone experienced this kind of pain going away over time?
by mistergot
8 Comments
Is your saddle level?
That looks like a bad fit issue more than a bar issue.
Maybe post pictures of how you interact with the bike and bars, because pain on thenoutside of your wrist is rare…
Can’t speak to your setup specifically, but bars with more backsweep and ergonomic grips help alleviate ulnar pressure. Ergon grips are hugely popular. For bars there are a lot of options with 16+ degrees of sweep; I use whisky scully bars at 23deg.
After decades of long distance drop bar riding, I *prefer* my Surly with Ergon grips and bar ends to my drop bars for long days.
https://preview.redd.it/0og9qdhgeybg1.jpeg?width=900&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=72a7f0d603fee245dbc58ce5f8158397c9e6d9c7
I’d suggest taking your bike to a local bike shop and get a proper fitting. After experiencing what a difference it makes, I now take any new bike I get in for a proper fitting and make notes of all relevant adjustments so I can put it back together exactly the same way after maintenance or travel.
Options, various hand holds, and the super thick foam grips.
What angle are your handlebars tilted to? A weird angle on your bars can do this. Weirdly angled brake levers can easily aggravate this issue as well. Try posting pictures of yourself on your bike in r/bikefit.
I have bilateral mangled wrists. I been using Jones H bars with GP4 gribs. They seem to work for the most part.